Kg Kartofler Pr Personal Statements

Today journalism is such a persuasive factor in opinion building that no person, group or business can claim immunity or afford to under-estimate the ability of the fourth estate to affect their fortunes, either for better or for worse (Gigi Van Der Reit 1998)

What has always intrigued me is how the media and PR industry manage to influence the way people think. Getting your message across by using just words is something that doesn't come easily to everyone but is a trait a journalist must possess. Journalism is not about how much you say: it is about what you say and imply. It can sometimes be misconstrued as negative journalism when freedom of press is used to its fullest. Being a true media person would mean me to be morally, socially legally and ethically aware, keeping in mind that journalism is not Fiction. The publishing course I have studied has taught me to work as a professional and keep in mind plagiarism and the laws associated with journalism such as libel, defamation,copyright etc. Good PR can change our perspective of the past, influence events in the present and help change the future of a company, industry, government or individual. PR is about planning, strategising and identifying your audience. The writing, interviewing, researching skills that I have acquired on this diploma at college would help me excel in a journalism degree at your university.

I am ambitious and experimental at writing features as it is important to open up to different journalistic genres such as hard and soft news stories, reviews, holiday reviews,investigative journalism and find out where you're best suited to write for.My dream would be to write feature articles and reviews for newspapers like the Sun, The Daily Mirror, The Times, and The Guardian. Working in a community support organisation Stand guide helped build my communicative skills as it required me to interact with people of different ethnicities and religion.It is essential to have determination, discipline and dedication to pursue a career as a journalist.Filming and working towards deadlines have taught me to be more organised.

Apart from being well organised and completely devoted to journalism I pride myself in being thorough with my research, a unit where we explore primary and secondary resources and qualitative and quantitative data were taught to us at college.This has helped me realise that detailed research is an important criteria of being a good journalist.The interview techniques for broadcasting unit helped me learn about interviewing skills and taught me to put others at ease.The Writing Editing and Copy unit helped my perception making it easier for me to write without a bias thus making me an eligible candidate to train as a journalist.The course helped build my overall skills in various areas therefore opening me up to different areas of media like the units on Photography, Digital Graphics for Print and Graphic Narrative helped improve my creative skills.

A keen interest in various cultures would motivate me to learn more about the world around us.I enjoy reading about news from across the world.I like surfing the web and listening to music in my spare time.I read books and keep up with current affairs.I also read magazines and newspapers like the Sun,the Mirror, the Guardian and websites.

I truly believe I would be an excellent candidate to pursue a journalism course at your university as I possess all the right skills and am extremely passionate about making a future of it.

Writing the Personal Statement

Summary:

This handout provides information about writing personal statements for academic and other positions.

Contributors:Jo Doran, Allen BrizeeLast Edited: 2018-03-07 02:18:40

The personal statement, your opportunity to sell yourself in the application process, generally falls into one of two categories:

1. The general, comprehensive personal statement:

This allows you maximum freedom in terms of what you write and is the type of statement often prepared for standard medical or law school application forms.

2. The response to very specific questions:

Often, business and graduate school applications ask specific questions, and your statement should respond specifically to the question being asked. Some business school applications favor multiple essays, typically asking for responses to three or more questions.

Questions to ask yourself before you write:

What's special, unique, distinctive, and/or impressive about you or your life story?

What details of your life (personal or family problems, history, people or events that have shaped you or influenced your goals) might help the committee better understand you or help set you apart from other applicants?

When did you become interested in this field and what have you learned about it (and about yourself) that has further stimulated your interest and reinforced your conviction that you are well suited to this field? What insights have you gained?

How have you learned about this field—through classes, readings, seminars, work or other experiences, or conversations with people already in the field?

If you have worked a lot during your college years, what have you learned (leadership or managerial skills, for example), and how has that work contributed to your growth?

What are your career goals?

Are there any gaps or discrepancies in your academic record that you should explain (great grades but mediocre LSAT or GRE scores, for example, or a distinct upward pattern to your GPA if it was only average in the beginning)?

Have you had to overcome any unusual obstacles or hardships (for example, economic, familial, or physical) in your life?

What personal characteristics (for example, integrity, compassion, and/or persistence) do you possess that would improve your prospects for success in the field or profession? Is there a way to demonstrate or document that you have these characteristics?

What skills (for example, leadership, communicative, analytical) do you possess?

Why might you be a stronger candidate for graduate school—and more successful and effective in the profession or field than other applicants?

What are the most compelling reasons you can give for the admissions committee to be interested in you?

General advice

Answer the questions that are asked

If you are applying to several schools, you may find questions in each application that are somewhat similar.

Don't be tempted to use the same statement for all applications. It is important to answer each question being asked, and if slightly different answers are needed, you should write separate statements. In every case, be sure your answer fits the question being asked.

Tell a story

Think in terms of showing or demonstrating through concrete experience. One of the worst things you can do is to bore the admissions committee. If your statement is fresh, lively, and different, you'll be putting yourself ahead of the pack. If you distinguish yourself through your story, you will make yourself memorable.

Be specific

Don't, for example, state that you would make an excellent doctor unless you can back it up with specific reasons. Your desire to become a lawyer, engineer, or whatever should be logical, the result of specific experience that is described in your statement. Your application should emerge as the logical conclusion to your story.

Find an angle

If you're like most people, your life story lacks drama, so figuring out a way to make it interesting becomes the big challenge. Finding an angle or a "hook" is vital.

Concentrate on your opening paragraph

The lead or opening paragraph is generally the most important. It is here that you grab the reader's attention or lose it. This paragraph becomes the framework for the rest of the statement.

Tell what you know

The middle section of your essay might detail your interest and experience in your particular field, as well as some of your knowledge of the field. Too many people graduate with little or no knowledge of the nuts and bolts of the profession or field they hope to enter. Be as specific as you can in relating what you know about the field and use the language professionals use in conveying this information. Refer to experiences (work, research, etc.), classes, conversations with people in the field, books you've read, seminars you've attended, or any other source of specific information about the career you want and why you're suited to it. Since you will have to select what you include in your statement, the choices you make are often an indication of your judgment.

Don't include some subjects

There are certain things best left out of personal statements. For example, references to experiences or accomplishments in high school or earlier are generally not a good idea. Don't mention potentially controversial subjects (for example, controversial religious or political issues).

Do some research, if needed

If a school wants to know why you're applying to it rather than another school, do some research to find out what sets your choice apart from other universities or programs. If the school setting would provide an important geographical or cultural change for you, this might be a factor to mention.

Write well and correctly

Be meticulous. Type and proofread your essay very carefully. Many admissions officers say that good written skills and command of correct use of language are important to them as they read these statements. Express yourself clearly and concisely. Adhere to stated word limits.

Avoid clichés

A medical school applicant who writes that he is good at science and wants to help other people is not exactly expressing an original thought. Stay away from often-repeated or tired statements.

For more information on writing a personal statement, see the personal statement vidcast.